The Dream of Dante. A Picture by D. G. Rossetti

Unknown

General Description

Date: 1874 November 11
Rhyme: abbaabbacdecde
Meter: iambic pentameter
Genre: sonnet

Scholarly Commentary

Introduction

The sonnet represents an interpretation of DGR's large oil replica of Dante's Dream at the Time of the Death of Beatrice. It follows the key details of the picture quite closely. The final line clearly indicates that the author wrote the sonnet with DGR's translation of Dante's Vita Nuova in mind: see Dante's discussion of this scene in his autobiography.

The work recalls a poetical interpretation written in 1870 of DGR's picture Pandora.

Printing History

The manuscript poem has never been printed.

Electronic Archive Edition: 1
Source File: poem001.raw.xml